Senator Martin: This isn’t a new problem, leader. The Supreme Court rendered its Jordan decision in July 2016, and, as Senator Boisvenu stated, serious criminal charges, including first-degree murder, have been stayed in the wake of this decision. Yet, the Trudeau government has done such a poor job filling federal judicial vacancies that Chief Justice Wagner says justices across Canada are being forced to pick and choose “the criminal matters that ‘deserve’ to be heard.”

Leader, can you make inquiries and let us know how many cases have been stayed across Canada under the 18-month and 30-month time limit set out in Jordan? As well, how many cases are currently in danger of being stayed?

Hon. Yonah Martin (Deputy Leader of the Opposition): Your Honour, I’d like to add my voice to all the congratulatory remarks today. I am really happy to see you in the chair.

My question is to the government leader and is a follow-up to Senator Boisvenu’s recent questions on the Trudeau government’s ongoing failure to make judicial appointments.

When Minister Lametti was sworn in as Minister of Justice in January 2019, there were 58 federal judicial vacancies across Canada. According to the government’s own statistics, as of May 1, the number of vacancies has grown to 88.

A year ago, an answer was provided to a written question on our Order Paper regarding the new judicial positions created under the 2017, 2018 and 2019 federal budgets. The answer at that time showed that 26 positions had not been created.

Leader, I have two questions: How many of the judicial positions announced in those budgets still remain unfilled, and why does Minister Lametti find it so hard to do this basic component of his job to fill judicial vacancies?